General Motors (GM) pledged Thursday to completely phase out vehicles that use internal combustion engines by 2035, President and CEO Mary Barra announced.
The automaker, which owns brands like Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC, said its global products and operations will be carbon neutral by 2040.
Barra has frequently promoted and promoted the company's plan to achieve a "totally electric future"
, and confirmed that they will increase to 30 electric vehicles that they will launch in the middle of this decade (40% of the catalog offered in the United States) to compete with the Californian brand Tesla, led by Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
But this time Detroit's largest automaker sets a high-stakes goal to invest $ 27 billion ($ 8,500 more than it had announced before the coronavirus pandemic): completely phase out gasoline and diesel engines to all light vehicles, including pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
GM explained that it will focus on "offering zero emission vehicles across a range of prices" and will work with all stakeholders "to build the necessary charging infrastructure and promote consumer acceptance."
Mary Barra, President and CEO of General Motors, during a Chevrolet vehicle showcase on December 10, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan.Bill Pugliano / Getty Images
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The company added that it has worked with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for the environment,“ to develop a shared vision for an all-electric future and the aspiration to eliminate emissions from new light vehicles by 2025 ".
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GM President and CEO Mary Barra said "General Motors is joining with governments and companies around the world who are working to establish a safer, greener and better world. We encourage others to do so too now. that have a significant impact on our sector and the economy as a whole, "he added.
For his part, EDF President Fred Krupp stated that "with this extraordinary step forward,
GM is making it clear that taking action to eliminate pollution from new light vehicles by 2035
is an essential element of any manufacturer's business plan. Of automobiles".
GM said that to reach the carbon neutrality target by 2040, it will "decarbonise" its product range by transitioning to battery electric vehicles and other zero-emission technologies, supplying renewable energy and taking advantage of minimal credits. "
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The automaker pledged to continue increasing the fuel efficiency of its internal combustion vehicles, "in accordance with regional fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions regulations" .
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By 2030, GM will only use renewable energy at all of its facilities in the United States.
By 2035, this policy will be extended to the rest of the world, which is five years earlier than initially planned.
GM noted that it is the 10th largest buyer of renewable energy.
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GM aims to improve the economy of electric vehicles by launching its new Ultium batteries with South Korean company LG Chem.
Batteries for the Chevrolet Bolt EV currently cost about $ 145 per kilowatt-hour.
The short-term goal for batteries coming out of a new plant in Ohio is not to exceed $ 100 per kWh and eventually to go down to $ 70.
With that figure, you would save more than $ 4,000 per vehicle using a 65 kWh package like the Bolt.
GM is "excited about the things the new Biden Administration is doing
," Parker said Thursday, referring to President Joe Biden's plan to replace the nearly 650,000 vehicles in the federal fleet with fully electric models.
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With a third of those operated by the US Postal Service, that could create a significant opportunity for the new BrightDrop subsidiary that GM launched this month.
One of its key products will be an all-electric van destined for delivery services like FedEx, UPS, and potentially USPS.
The company, founded in 1908 in Flint, Michigan, was one of the first to enter the electric vehicle market and has stopped supporting the Trump Administration's decision to lift stringent emissions standards in California.
With information from EFE and NBC News.